


The Moon on My Left and the Dawn on My Right

by Innocent Culprit (JoJo)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Comment Fic, Community: hoodie_time, Gen, Kid Fic, Pre-Canon, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-29
Updated: 2011-04-29
Packaged: 2017-10-18 19:21:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/192361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoJo/pseuds/Innocent%20Culprit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John drives all night</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Moon on My Left and the Dawn on My Right

**Author's Note:**

> Sept 2009 commentfic to prompt from sinnerforhire: _Weechesters. Dean has some minor illness (ear infection, cold, tonsillitis, etc.) that makes him irritable and keeps him awake. Finally John loads both the boys into the Impala and drives till dawn to get Dean to sleep._

There are lumps of rock in John’s eyes. Both of them. He thinks if he blinks again his eyes will either get stuck open or closed. Ahead of him the road is a twisty tunnel of black through the forest. Something’s wrong with the angle of the headlights, it’s giving the impression they’re driving downhill when they really aren’t.

He flicks on the light with one hand, looks into the rear-view.

Sam has fallen sideways. No surprises there. John told him to lean the other way, to try and keep off Dean so he didn’t get too hot, but the magnetic field has proved too strong, it’s drawn Sammy in towards his brother and he’s got his head pushed into Dean’s side, one hand clinging to a corner of t-shirt.

Dean’s still sideways on to the window, one temple to the glass, hands all tangled up in the hotel blanket that he’s jammed under his chin. His eyes are following something outside, flicking robotically from left to right and then back. Every so often he swallows, making little pain lines scrunch between his eyebrows.

“Dean?”

The eyes wander to the mirror in sluggish response.

“Close your eyes.”

Dean obeys. Of course, he obeys. The lashes drop shut, he heaves a crackly, irritable sigh. John’s gut twists and he flicks off the light, blinks several times.

Ten minutes later, he flicks it on again.

Dean’s eyes are open. They gleam with tears but none have fallen. One hand has snaked out of the blanket and is clamped to the underside of Sammy’s shoulder, stopping him from rolling off the seat. Sam’s boneless and relaxed.

John says nothing, just flicks off the light again. They’re out of the forest now, have turned on to a highway and up ahead there’s a faint, sharp glow. When it’s begun to color the horizon, John glances to the mirror once more. Dean’s head has moved slightly and he’s staring out through the front of the car. John can see the blaze of dawn reflected in his hurting eyes.

_God, Dean, pleeeease. Let it go. Let it all go, just for a fuckin' hour. I'm dyin' here._

The light that's beaming into the car is comforting. John presses his eyelids down, just for a second, and somehow they won’t come up again. The car swerves slightly, front right wheel dipping over the asphalt into grass and stones. There's a harsh shake as he rights it and he hears Sam make a complaining sound.

“Sonofabitch!” John shouts, furious with himself. His hands tighten around the wheel and he slows right down, comes to a grinding halt before twisting in the seat.

Sam’s got both arms locked around Dean’s middle, dead to the world. Dean’s other hand has dropped to the back of Sam’s neck. He’s still facing front and his breathing sounds rattly as hell.

“Sonofabitch...” John’s voice is soft, full of wonder and exhaustion.

Dean’s holding on to Sam like he made a sudden grab when the car left the road and now he can’t let go. There’s a wash of pinkish light over his face and his lashes are dark against his skin in sleep.

Kid doesn’t look comfortable at all. He looks rough.

John smiles.

Looks damn peaceful though.


End file.
